Chapter 269: Turmoil on the Way to School
At breakfast, Kotori informed everyone that Reine Murasame would also be coming over, so Franklin had prepared an extra portion for her in advance.
Watching Reine eat the spirit-infused food without any change in expression, Franklin was still a little surprised.
But when he saw the exhaustion on her face gradually ease, he felt relieved.
After finishing the meal, it was once again the familiar trip to school. Even though he was surrounded by girls, Franklin still felt a faint headache.
Next world—absolutely, absolutely no more being a student.
Being a teacher might actually be a good choice.
Teachers had certain authority… yet as young, unconstrained trainee teachers…
Or maybe becoming a young shareholder of a school… holding some nominal position might also be nice…
No need to attend classes, and still able to have close contact with students… that might really be a good option.
Shaking his head to suppress these strange thoughts, Franklin looked toward Kotori and Reine chatting near the front gate.
"Reine, the school side has already helped you take a day off for now. With big brother taking Tohka, there shouldn't be any major issues.
Yoshinon and Yoshino will be in your care today.
If possible, help them find some recreational activities too. That way, things won't be so troublesome in the future."
Although Reine still looked tired, she nodded seriously and took several ID cards out of her pocket.
"This almost slipped my mind. The school staff might need to check these when you arrive."
After taking the IDs, Kotori nodded lightly. After waving her hand, the group headed out of the yard.
"See you this afternoon, Lin."
"Lin… do your best…"
Franklin smiled and nodded. After waving to the two little ones and Reine, he quickly followed the others.
"Tohka, you must keep your ID safe. You never know when you'll need it."
Seeing the ID Kotori handed over, Tohka took it eagerly and began examining it carefully.
"…And… Tokisaki Kurumi… yours."
Seeing Kotori's slightly awkward expression, Franklin smiled and rubbed her head.
"No need to be so guarded. You can just call her Kurumi. She won't mind."
Hearing Franklin's words, Kurumi took the ID from Kotori and smiled softly.
"Of course. If things go well in the future, Kotori might even end up calling me Kurumi-onee-san."
Seeing Kurumi's smiling expression, Kotori snorted lightly and then ignored her, turning to Franklin instead.
"Be careful at school. She looks harmless right now, but she's killed quite a lot of people. You need to stay alert."
Franklin smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry. I will."
After confirming that Franklin had truly taken it to heart, Kotori ran straight into a deserted alley. In an instant, she disappeared from sight.
"Lin, help me look—why does the name on my ID look a little different from mine?"
Smiling, Franklin took Tohka's ID and glanced at it carefully.
In the very next instant, his brows furrowed tightly. He stopped in place and stared straight at the name.
"Yatogami… Tohka… Yatogami…"
Memories from his previous life surged forth. Franklin felt as though he had discovered something extremely important.
Who exactly had decided on the surname Yatogami for Tohka?
He originally wanted to ask Kotori right away, but after hesitating for a moment, Franklin decided to keep it in mind for now.
If it had simply been decided by ordinary staff members with no suspicious background, then it was fine.
But if it was someone well-known, someone who frequently appeared around everyone, and not one of the harem—
Franklin's brows tightened slightly. That person would be highly suspicious in both identity and origin.
Now was not the time to alert the enemy. The Spirits had not all been sealed yet, and letting everything follow the original plot was still the safest approach.
"Lin… Lin, what's wrong?"
Looking at the concern on Tohka's face, Franklin smiled and shook his head, casually slipping her ID into his pocket.
"I'm fine. I just thought of something. Let's hurry. Once we get to school, there are still the standard procedures to go through. That'll take some time."
Holding Tohka's hand, Franklin reached out to take Origami's—only to have his arm gently wrapped instead by Kurumi, who smiled softly.
"The terms of the deal also include making Mr. Franklin's heart flutter every day. This is officially the start."
Momentarily stunned, Franklin glanced at Origami. After seeing her smile faintly and shake her head, he turned back to Kurumi with a smile.
"That requirement really does exist. If you hadn't mentioned it, I almost would've forgotten."
Kurumi had noticed the subtle change in Franklin's expression earlier, but she didn't dwell on it.
What concerned her more was the look on Franklin's face when he saw Tohka's ID. It wasn't curiosity or novelty—there was a hint of having glimpsed some hidden secret mixed into it.
"So, Mr. Franklin, can you tell us what exactly is wrong with Tohka's ID?"
The question came up again, and Tohka immediately grew curious as well.
"That's right, Lin. You still haven't said—why isn't my name just Tohka or Franklin Tohka?
Why is it called… Yatogami Tohka? What is Yatogami? It feels kind of strange…"
Looking at Tohka's troubled expression, Franklin smiled and explained,
"Everyone's name has both a surname and a given name.
Tohka is your given name. Yatogami is your current surname. Your full name is Yatogami Tohka.
Once you're at school, this is what you'll need to write on the blackboard during self-introductions.
Other people generally can only call you Yatogami or Yatogami-san.
Only very close people—like me, Kotori, Yoshinon, Yoshino, Origami, and Kurumi—are allowed to call you by your given name."
Hearing this explanation, Tohka's eyes instantly lit up.
"I'll remember that properly! Only family members are allowed to call me Tohka. No one else is qualified."
"That interpretation… isn't exactly wrong."
At this moment, Kurumi, who was holding Franklin's arm, lowered her head in thought.
At the same time, these words were relayed to her clones, who began analyzing the hidden implications together.
Kurumi's intuition told her that things were definitely not that simple.
"There are even more people now—and two more all at once."
"They clearly came from Franklin's house together. With this level of intimacy, that's way beyond just friends, isn't it?"
"This is really hard to take…"
Yamabuki Ai, Hazakura Mai, and Fujibakama Mii complained one after another.
Although he heard the three girls talking, Franklin had no intention of explaining anything further.